


Still Champagne

by meilunye



Category: Inazuma Eleven GO
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Prompt Fic, Timeskip, lots of sarcasm in here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:42:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22259665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meilunye/pseuds/meilunye
Summary: { Written using two prompts from the Writober 2019 challenge by Fanwriter.it ("Fake Boyfriend" and "Champagne"). }Although he hates the way he's been stuck in a fake relationship with Minamisawa for months, Kurama finds himself too unwillingly in love with him to break out of it.But maybe the moment has finally come for Minamisawa to change the flow of their relationship for good...
Relationships: Kurama Norihito/Minamisawa Atsushi
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> I think it's pointless to say it, but just in case: "still" in the title refers to "non sparkling champagne" (yes, apparently it exists).  
> As always, please note that English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for any mistake you might find. Enjoy!

✨ **I** ✨

« Kurama, please, look this way! ».

The dark skinned boy did as he was told and waited to hear the familiar _click_. Hikaru lowered his gaze on the screen and after making sure the picture had turned out as expected, he gave them the thumbs up in approval.

Only in that moment did Minamisawa get up from the wall he was leaning on, swatting away the dust from his pants. « And with this, we’re done », he said.

Kurama moved after him, finally back on his feet. He couldn’t help but notice how Minamisawa brushed him off completely - he didn’t even reach out a hand to him, despite being the one who suggested he’d sit on the sidewalk in the first place, so as to obtain a “better composition” for the photo.

They walked to Hikaru, still fiddling with his camera. He had become their official photographer as soon as he had made that purchase. It was a fair exchange - he could practice, and they got some very good shots in return. The boy had a talent, as well as an excellent eye for detail, and he always managed to catch them in their best poses and expressions.

And today was no exception. Hikaru moved the screen closer to let them see. The photo set they had just taken seemed to have jumped out straight from a fashion magazine.

« How is it? », he asked, brimming with joy.

Kurama stared at his own face in the pictures and barely recognized himself. At first he had strongly opposed the whole idea, but he had to admit he had come to terms with his photogenic side. To think that when he was a kid he used to run away in sheer terror every time someone with a camera approached him.

« It’s great », Minamisawa said. He gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder, and his glove almost bounced on his thick blue jacket. « I’m sure these pictures will be successful as always ».

Kurama sneered. Yeah, that’s all he cared about after all. While he was taking advantage of the situation to increase the single, barely visible shred of self esteem he had left, and all in all he was happy to have something to show his (albeit few) friends, the other boy was only interested in one thing: likes on Instagram.

« A couple days to retouch them a little », Hikaru went on, too focused on the results of his hard work to care about Minamisawa’s selfishness, « And I’ll send them to you. I’m sure you’ll like the final result even more! ».

Minamisawa squeezed his hands into his pockets and took a step back. « I can’t wait », he said.

Hikaru smiled softly. « What about we go and drink something together now? », he suggested, « I know a place near here that makes the best hot chocolate in the world ».

Kurama’s stomach chose exactly that second to growl, making everyone laugh. He was surely a fan of that idea, no doubts…

Too bad the same didn’t apply to Minamisawa. « Sorry », he said, without losing his usual polite expression. « I have other business to attend. Next time for sure ».

Another lie. Kurama was the only one who could understand when he was lying, he could see it clearly in his eyes. His face was constantly tensed up in a gentle, perfect mask, but in his irises he could easily catch sight of the truth.

Hikaru wasn’t as skilled as him and fell for it. « Alright », he waved him goodbye, « See you soon! ».

« Thanks for today ». As cold as ever, Minamisawa walked away on his own across the crowded street. The other two remained still, staring at his back until his dark coat disappeared in the far away horizon, swallowed by the moving mass of people.

« How weird... », Hikaru murmured all of a sudden. « He’s your boyfriend, yet he always has something better to do ».

Kurama had to fight back his instinct to sigh. Yeah, from outside it must seem like an absurd turn of events. Or maybe it was just the force of habit that prevented him from finding it strange.

« Let him be », he answered, « That’s just how he is. Let’s go, I’m hungry ».

And without waiting for him, he silently hurried to the crosswalk.

❀

Of course people were starting to doubt.

What kind of wicked couple only met to take pictures, never showed up together aside from these moments, and always spent time separated, each one with his own friends - or videogames, in Kurama’s case?

It was impossible to believe.

And, in fact, they were _not_ a couple. They were faking it.

The one who had come up with the idea was Minamisawa (who else?) many months earlier, in the most random way. One day out of the blue, Tenma had decided to organize a friendly reunion with all members of the Raimon team from middle school. Gathering everyone had been a challenging task, busy as they were with high school, studying, university tests and part time jobs. Someone had moved away, others simply had other business to attend. But in the end, it happened.

And, of course, they took tons of pictures. Especially one among the others caught everyone’s attention - Kurama laughing at a joke, with a smug Minamisawa in the background.

Something in that photo radiated a special atmosphere, intimate, not to mention how rare it was to catch the two forwards, the forever grumpy Kurama and that Minamisawa who barely ever showed any emotion, in such a spontaneous moment.

The latter seemed to appreciate the picture a whole lot. He even decided to post it on his favorite social network separately from the other group photos from the same day, almost as if it was a unique treasure. It grew popular in no time.

The only downside was that, seeing what kind of snapshot it was and the treatment it had been reserved, people started believing they were dating. It happened pretty often to relevant people, and Minamisawa counted enough followers to be considered part of them.

Usually, all it took for these rumors to disappear as quickly as they were born was to ignore them.

But Minamisawa’s final decision was to go on with the flow instead.

The following week he called Kurama in a rush, telling him they had to discuss important business. And when they met, he proposed something ridiculous: that they’d fake a relationship for the sake of popularity.

“Fake dating?”, Kurama still remembered the dialogue line by line. “And why the hell would I agree to something like that?”.

Minamisawa gave him his usual smug grin. “For many reasons”, was his answer. He raised a finger in mid air as to count like an elementary schooler. “One, because I know you’ve liked me for a long time…”.

“Hey!”, Kurama interrupted him. “That’s not…”.

“Don’t you try to deny it”, Minamisawa cut him short, smashing a hand against his lips to shut him up. “You wouldn’t believe it either”.

Kurama, forced to silence by his fingers, muttered a couple inaudible words and allowed him to go on, not without blushing to the tip of his ears.

“Two, I know you don’t have many friends”, Minamisawa added, raising a second finger to join the first one. “Don’t get me wrong though, I seriously think of you as a great teammate, and I enjoy spending time with you. We could go out like any normal couple would, it wouldn’t hurt you”.

Kurama grabbed Minamisawa’s wrist with both of his hands and pushed his arm away, finally freeing his mouth. “We don’t need to fake a relationship to go out together. Surprise surprise, that’s what friends do”.

“Three, who knows”, Minamisawa’s face turned into a sly smile. “If you accept and we start seeing each other more, maybe I’ll fall in love with you and we’ll make this real”.

That… that was a low blow. A terribly low blow.

It was embarrassing to admit his own weakness, but he simply… fell for it. Maybe it was the way it had been worded, or perhaps he believed that absurd lie, he had no idea either. Yet something in his soul had been touched by Minamisawa’s proposal and moved, and he found himself accepting his conditions, insane as they could be. “Only for a little while”.

Minamisawa nodded, pleased.

Too bad _only for a little while_ turned into months. And now Kurama was trapped into that counterfeit relationship, caught between two fires: on one side were his feelings, that forced him to stay and take advantage of everything he could have, without complaining. On the other side, though, was his common sense, ordering him to flee as soon as possible from a situation that didn’t do anything good except mercilessly hurting him over and over again.

He was still there.

Kurama was the polar opposite of Minamisawa in every aspect. He refused to create an account on that nefarious social network, he simply lurked around from his computer sometimes, in total anonymity. He looked at pictures, including the ones he was in, he counted the likes they got, he read the comments.

An astonishingly high number of Minamisawa’s fans had mutated into hardcore supporters of the couple. They said they were “adorable”, “made for each other”, and they even left tons of questions such as “tell us about your first kiss”, “we want details”, “we beg you, tell us more!”.

And what was there “more” to say?

Nothing. Nothing at all.  
Kurama was shocked by how strangers thought of them as close-knit couple, to the point of calling them a “duo of potential idols” or “fated to be together”, while the truth was as far away from this idyllic scene as it could be.

Their first - and last - date had been to a stationary store to pick a birthday gift. They held hands just for the camera. And, it’s pointless to say it, they had never kissed before.

To be fair, they argued all the time.

He had to admit one thing - a month after the farce had begun, Minamisawa had tried to take their bond a step farther. He wanted to turn it, if not into a real honest relationship, at least into a closer friendship. He texted him, called at every hour of the day, pushed him to create an account somewhere so they could keep in touch.

It was Kurama who didn’t want any of that. He was as stubborn as a mule, and when he set his mind on something it was impossible to change his point of view. He was afraid that if he put himself on his same level, if he opened up his heart to him, if for a mere second he gave in to that illusion, he’d ruin everything. That he would dump on Minamisawa all his imperfections, his bad traits, his awful personality, thus making him notice how impossible it was to pour even the tiniest drop of truth into that lie… and that’s when he would have left.

His ego refused to accept it. He had already suffered his departure in the past, when Minamisawa had quit Raimon to join Gassan Kunimitsu. He had no intention of sinking deep into that abyss one more time, now that he had managed to crawl back to the top and to grasp at him with all his strength.

Was it real love or simple possessiveness? He couldn’t tell them apart. To be honest, sometimes he even found himself hating Minamisawa from the bottom of his heart for the way he made him suffer on purpose. Yet somehow, no matter how wrong, untruthful and fleeting it was, that bond belonged to him and him alone.

And this pointless sense of control was the sole reason he would never be able to let go of that castle of lies.

❀

His phone rang.

Kurama stretched his arm out of his pillow fort, grabbed it and snapped it out of charge. The light of the screen blinded him on the spot, shining bright like a lighthouse in the night.

It was a message from Minamisawa.

He rubbed at his eyes until he was able to at least distinguish the letters on the screen, his eyesight still fogged by sleepiness, and stared at the clock in the top right corner.

Three in the morning.

“Text me when you’re awake”, he had written around midnight. And, now, a small addition: “It’s important. I can’t sleep because of this”.

Kurama sighed. He was tempted to answer “I can, goodnight”, but he knew it would only fuel Minamisawa’s tantrums more. The best choice was to play along, and to hope he had fallen asleep in the meantime to avoid any sort of problem. Anyway, who knows when he’d be able to sleep again after such a rude awakening…

“I’m up”, he slowly typed, his fingers still numb. “What do you want?”.

He locked the screen and slammed the phone against his pillows, expecting to hear a small vibration soon. Instead, it started ringing and blasted his ringtone out loud, making him jump in shock.

Why in the world was he calling him now?!

He threw himself on the button to answer. « The hell do you want at this time? », he screamed right in his face. « Can’t you sleep like all other human beings and leave me alone?! ».

Minamisawa laughed, and his heart skipped the usual, pitiful beat. That sound was too beautiful, even if he refused to admit it out loud. « Hello to you, too », he said sarcastically. « I had to tell you something important » .

« And couldn’t it wait until tomorrow morning? » , Kurama answered, albeit more docile after hearing his voice. « Is it that urgent? Are you risking your life? Did anyone die? Did someone punch you because you’re an asshole? » .

Minamisawa laughed again. Kurama’s face reached shades of red still unknown to science. « Nothing of the sort » , he said after catching his breath, « I just wanted to invite you to have dinner out ».

Stop. A long minute of silence. Kurama’s brain ignited again all of a sudden, abandoning sleepiness once and for all just to sink into a bubble of complete confusion. With a note of anger in the background.

« Let me get this straight », he managed to blurt out after what felt like an eternity, his voice a mere furious hiss. « You can’t sleep, you woke me up in the middle of the night with a text, you called me in a rush… to invite me to dinner? ».

Minamisawa mumbled in agreement.

God, now he felt like stepping outside in his pajamas and run barefoot to his house just to slap him to death. « Are you kidding me?! », he yelled again, « It’s not like it’s the first time we go out! What’s so compelling, is it a dinner with the emperor by any chance?! ».

Minamisawa waited a couple seconds before answering, as if he was actually thinking about it. « Of course not », he said then, « Let’s say it’s… important, okay? I needed to tell you immediately. »

Kurama snorted loudly. Damn it, he was so tired he couldn’t muster the strength to fight back. And so disgustingly in love with him in spite of everything that he couldn’t even find the _will_ to do so. After all, thinking it was a date with him that was keeping him up at night was kind of flattering. He wouldn’t mind this perfect boyfriend behavior… if only he had been invited normally and not in the way a stalker would.

« Listen », he said, « You know I’m not a fan of public demonstrations. Where are you planning to go exactly? ».

Minamisawa let out a pleased noise. « I was hoping you’d ask », he asked, boatful. « Try to dress up, it’s going to be a fancy place. I want you to be more elegant than you’ve ever been in your entire life ».

His anger was increasing at an exponential rate. Wow, now he also had the courage to _demand_ things. « I haven’t accepted yet », he reminded him.

As soon as he finished his sentence, he was already imagining it. Oh, yes, he could feel it even through his phone. He was sure, Minamisawa had _that_ facial expression right now - he used it exclusively in case of extreme necessity. The one where every muscle tensed in a menacing way as if saying “look, here with me I have a list of eight hundred reasons why you would not want me as your enemy, starting with the fact I have more followers than hair on my head and I could easily ruin your entire reputation with a single click, if I wanted”.

Kurama had no reputation to save, but he had always preferred to play along whenever he felt that powerful aura in the surroundings, just in case. It was as lethal as ever, in spite of the distance between them.

« Kurama... », Minamisawa began.

Kurama interrupted him at the speed of light. « Okay, I’ll be there, I’ll be there », he said in a hurry, « But shut up and let me sleep now. Maybe you’re fine but I am tired as hell ».

He didn’t wait for any reply and moved his phone away from his ear. He could barely hear a faint « Saturday at nine » as he hung up.

He plunged his head into the pillow with so much violence that his nose hurt through all the rest of that endless, sleepless night.


	2. II

✨  **II** ✨

« He’s completely nuts ».

Hamano hid his face behind one of the displayed sweaters, so that Hayami could see him roll his eyes. « You’ve said it a million times », he said, « We get it, bro ».

« No, you don’t », Kurama ceased torturing the cuff of a white shirt and tapped with a finger on his temple, emphasizing the concept. « He’s. Nuts ».

Hayami lifted his gaze from the ground and met his. Crouched on the small stool in the middle of the aisle, he looked even smaller than usual. « Well, I think that was kinda cute... », he dared to say. He quickly added: « Kinda! », to avoid being skinned alive by Kurama’s death glare.

« Cute? », the light-blue haired boy hissed. « “Cute”, you say? What’s cute in a stalker who calls you at three in the night just to invite you to a stupid dinner? ».

Hayami shrugged. « Maybe it’s his way to apologize for always ditching you ».

Hamano nodded in agreement. « After all », he didn’t miss the chance to joke around, « Isn’t it normal for a couple of lovebirds to be nervous before a date? ».

Kurama, who had been examining up close the umpteenth white shirt all this time, held its sleeves between his fingers with so much strength as to risk tearing the seams apart. He put the clothing back to its place, hanging it on the coat hanger.

« You know we’re not a real couple », he reminded him. They were the only ones who knew everything about that fake relationship, since they held the title of his best - and, well, only - friends. « He probably wants to impress someone, nothing else ».

Hayami pushed the thick white glasses back on his nose. « Such as? », he asked.

It was Kurama’s turn to shrug. « How can I know?! », he snapped, « Maybe there’s gonna be some kind of fan meeting? An old classmate? Some hardcore fan he wants to get rid of? Or maybe he simply wants to show the world how stupidly rich he is ».

His friends’ eyes met in confusion.

« Now you’re being the crazy dude here », Hamano remarked while shaking his head.

« Yeah », Kurama agreed, « Personally, I think he’s planning to ask you out for real ».

Those blunt words were so swift and unexpected that Kurama almost choked on his own saliva. He broke out in a coughing fit, while Hamano gave him strong pats on the back to help him breathe, and all the customers in the shop turned around to give them a death flare.

« Wha?! », was the only thing he could grumble.

Hamano was of the same opinion. « Actually, I’m surprised he hasn’t done that yet », he said.

Kurama eagerly denied again. « Earth to Hamano? », he protested, « Why would he confess if he doesn’t have any feelings for me? And he has proven it too many times, don’t even try to deny it ».

His explanation didn’t fully persuade Hayami. « Jokes aside, isn’t it weird how nervous he was? », he pointed out, « If it’s not the first time you go out, he wouldn’t have any reason to be ».

« You’re always nervous, yet there’s barely ever any logical reason to be », was Kurama’s sharp answer.

Hayami’s mouth opened wide at that offense, his resentment palpable even through his thick lenses. That’s where Hamano drew the line and stepped in to stop the argument before a fight would break out in the middle of the store. « Even though he does have a point », he admitted, « Minamisawa doesn’t seem the type of person who would be anxious about random stuff. I think there’s something up his sleeve ».

Kurama refused to accept this. He focused again on the endless line of identical shirts lined up on the hanger, like little white soldiers.

« Nonsense », he said, cutting the conversation short.

He had no idea what to do. They had entered that shop hours before, looking for the infamous “elegant clothes” Minamisawa had ordered him to wear on their date and that he - considering his nonexistent social life - of course didn’t own. Everything he put on for their pseudo-couple shootings had been lent to him by his fake boyfriend or by Hikaru, no exceptions.

He was drifting. Not only was he so inexperienced with fashion that he didn’t even know what could be considered “elegant” and what could not, he also couldn’t get himself to buy a single piece of clothing. They were all so out of place, so… unfit for him. « Anyway, I hate fashion. Did I ever mention this? », he complained.

Hamano laughed sarcastically. « More or less every day since you began “dating” », he said, making sure to mimic some mid-air inverted commas with his finger to avoid any possible correction or scolding from Kurama.

« Maybe I can help you? ». The voice of their savior came from afar.

A clerk walked up to them with a bright smile, and never in his life had Hamano been so happy to accept a stranger’s help as he was that awful afternoon.

❀

A solid hour had passed by now, and he was still staring at his reflection.

That person he could see in the mirror didn’t look anything like him, more like a stranger he didn’t know the identity of.

It couldn’t be him. Not with that perfectly combed hair instead of the usual unruly bush, or with that tight, elegant suit and not one of the huge comfortable hoodies he wore on a daily basis.

He had gone crazy if he had actually decided to dress in such an eccentric way only because Minamisawa had asked him. “Feelings really  _ do  _ make an idiot out of you”, he thought, hating himself for his weakness.

He finally found the energy to get out of the bathroom. As soon as he opened the door and stepped into his bedroom, an approving whistle from Hamano run over him.

« Whoa », he said, « You say you don’t care about Minamisawa or your fake dates at all, but you sure  _ did _ dress up for it, huh? ».

« Shut up », Kurama cut him short, his tone reeking homicidal aura.

Before anyone could add even a single word more, the doorbell rang in the distance. The moment had come. The gallows was waiting for him.

He walked to the entrance, his two friends following suit, expecting to be greeted by a punchable face and annoying purple hair. Instead, an elderly looking man bowed before him with exaggerated formality.

Kurama’s certainties shattered to pieces in a second. « What the... », he tried to say, before the man sprang back on his feet.

« The taxi limousine is waiting for you, mister Kurama », he interrupted.

Kurama took the chance to have a better look at him. He was all decked out as a high-class butler, and in spite of having very little hair on his head he looked far more distinguished than what he had managed with so many hours of brushing, combing and hair spraying. It was almost as if that man had jumped straight out of a fairytale.

Wait a second… taxi limousine?!

« You must be mistaken », Kurama said, giving his friends a panicked stare, « I haven’t called for any... ».

« I know », the stranger interrupted him again, « This service was requested by mister Minamisawa Atsushi ».

A minute of silence fell on the whole group, and Kurama’s brain blacked out completely. He felt as if he had been thrown inside a romance book, those where the main character falls in love with a rich prince, marries him, and then they have a wonderful life full of handsome children, puppies and private golf courts.

« Mister Kurama? », the driver tried to catch his attention. He eagerly tapped on his wristwatch with a finger. « I beg your pardon, but if you don’t mind getting on the car, we are late on the schedule ».

« Oh, uh, sure », Kurama muttered, without giving it too much thought. He waved at his friends, thus abandoning them for good in his house, and mounted on the limousine. The man even opened the door for him so he’d sit more comfortably, then he jumped on. They left in the bat of an eye.

It was kinda… cool. Yeah, “cool” was the only word he could think of, even if deep down in his heart a tiny voice kept reminding him about the preposterous amount of money Minamisawa had probably paid for that.

But why? Even the vanity of such a narcissistic boy must have a limit at some point, right? Apparently not, it was a bottomless pit.

The trip was as embarrassing as expected. Even if traveling on such a luxurious vehicle made him feel like a lord, it was no fun alone. It was the same as sitting inside a living room, except on wheels. And pointlessly fancy.

They reached their destination after a couple minutes. Kurama got down by himself, without waiting for any help. The car revved up and left immediately, leaving him on the threshold of the restaurant. He fearfully lifted his gaze onto the sign, and the doubts in his mind took concrete form - it was the most expensive place in the whole city. He knew it, but seeing it in real life was a stab right through his chest.

How was he going to pay for his dinner? He had to order as little food as possible and pray not to spend his whole offspring’s inheritance in the span of a single night. He had no other choice.

He took his first hesitant steps on the small plaza. Laughter came from the guests sitting in the open air section of the restaurant - it echoed all around him, painting the atmosphere with a cheerfulness that intolerably clashed with the silence that had enveloped him up to that moment.

« You’re finally here ».

Kurama turned around in a rush. Minamisawa was standing in front of him, completely transformed. He had to control himself to avoid bursting out in a hysterical fit like teenage girls in front of the hottest boy in school.

If usually he was beautiful, that night he was simply  _ wonderful _ . His elegant clothes - thankfully similar to the ones he was wearing - suit him to a T, and his hair was done with all the care one would expect from an international fashion model.

And Kurama had never been so in love with him as he was in that moment, in the middle of the street, staring at him with his mouth wide open and unable to control the crazy beating of his heart.

He had to keep his composure somehow. He looked down at the ground, and swallowed his own saliva. « Y-yep », he said.

Minamisawa’s hand came into his field of vision and reached his, squeezing it with unusual gentleness. « Then let’s go », he invited him, and slowly dragged him towards the entrance.

There was something in his touch that radiated safety, and maybe that’s why Kurama meekly allowed him to lead his way without complaining.

A waiter greeted them on the entrance. As soon as Minamisawa told him the name he had booked under, he escorted them to their table.

Kurama sat down, trying to make as little noise as he could while moving his chair. The air was already heavy and tense, he didn’t want to attract any more attention to him.

« So tell me », Minamisawa spoke out of the blue, interrupting his train of thought. « Do you like the place? ». He had already sat, silently and fast as lightning, and he was sporting his charming smirk that could instantly kill a million people.

Kurama didn’t dare to meet his gaze. « Can I even say no to you? », he groused.

Of course he liked it. The problem was he felt like a fish out of water. He always felt uncomfortable in that kind of places, and he was surprised Minamisawa couldn’t see his uneasiness. But all in all, he couldn’t say that the restaurant was ugly - no one would believe such a blatant lie.

Minamisawa sulked. He rarely paid much attention to such things, but for once he looked seriously lost in thought. « I hoped it would be a nice surprise... », he moaned.

That minuscule, innocent blink of sadness in his eyes was the coup de grace for Kurama’s loved up heart. He never apologized for being rude - and he’d refuse to do so even at gunpoint, so all he could do was trying to put a patch on the situation. « I-it’s not that I don’t like it… », he explained, « It’s simply too fancy. You know how I am ».

Minamisawa’s face relaxed as his smile grew wider and softer. Maybe his mind was playing dirty tricks on him that evening - still, that expression made Kurama melt like a snowman in bright sunlight.

His heart was beating so fast it was going to tear through his chest at any moment. How would he manage to survive until the end of the day if these were the premises?

« You’ll get used to it, you’ll see », Minamisawa said, « Just be yourself ». He placed a hand on his, like he had done a minute before, and began caressing it with unexpectedly sweet motions. Kurama snapped it away and rested it on his knees, far from his reach. What was wrong with his head?!

« Easier said than done », he said, « I’m dressed like a clown ».

If his refusal had hurt him, well, Minamisawa proved to be a perfect actor because he didn’t bat an eyelash. His smile lingered on his lips, unharmed. « You look very good with that suit », he changed the subject. « Did you buy it for me? ».

For me. For me. He said  _ for me _ , instead of “for the occasion” or every other equivalent, less embarrassing phrase. He was doing that on purpose, as if he knew how sensitive he was that night and he had decided to take advantage of it.

« Nah », he murmured, « It’s nothing important... ».

He couldn’t focus on his answer because something caught his attention, a far away bustle coming from his left. He had been hearing that for quite a while now, but he hadn’t bothered concentrating on it so far. Sitting at a distant table, some girls were whispering something to each other, their eyes intently fixed on them.

Right when he was about to stop listening, believing it was a mere coincidence, he picked up an important key word: “Minamisawa”.

Kurama clenched his fists. Yeah, for a second he had dared to forget the true reason they had come to that place. He had surrendered to the illusion of having a real date with the boy he loved, someone who actually meant it when looking after him, and had forgotten it was all a lie to fetch new followers.

What an idiot. What a disgusting castle in the air he had built on what knew to be a minefield.

The waiter came with the wine list, ready to take their order. Kurama shut up, partly because he was no expert on the matter and had no idea how to choose, and partly because he was too angry for the background whispers he could hear surrounding their table like a menace.

Minamisawa didn’t seem to understand what was going on in his mind and ordered for him too. « We’ll have champagne, please », he said, « We’re celebrating tonight ».

The waiter nodded and took his leave with a small bow.

Kurama looked at his fake boyfriend, confusion clear in his eyes. « Champagne? », he questioned.

Minamisawa shrugged. « Yes », he said, « Champagne ».

« Why though, what are we celebrating exactly? », Kurama asked, increasingly perplexed.

Minamisawa’s smile turned into a sly grin. With that expression he was more similar to the usual liar he knew very well. « You’ll see », was his cryptic reply, « It’s a surprise ».

What on earth was that guy scheming? He didn’t like this at all, he couldn’t shrug off an awful feeling. « But I don’t even like champagne ».

Minamisawa didn’t cease his intense smiling activity, yet a pinch of annoyance was starting to peer through the surface. « Then you order next time », he said.

Kurama pouted and dropped the conversation. Yeah, he was right, if he had any sort of preference he should have said so before he ordered. He was aware of this… admitting it was another can of worms, though.

The waiter came back and - after a whole load of ceremonies which Kurama considered to be useless tittle-tattle even when he saw them on T - poured champagne in their wine glasses.

As soon as he disappeared into the kitchen, silence fell.

Kurama pulled at the collar of his shirt, nervous. It was tight and suffocating, a deadly grip, and the uneasiness sure didn’t help his cause.

Minamisawa noticed his discomfort and smiled again, taking a small sip of wine. He probably didn’t get the reason behind Kurama’s behavior - knowing him, he thought he was simply embarrassed or, perhaps, blinded by his beauty.

Which was… totally true, but not the problem here

Kurama tasted the wine too, desperate for an excuse to stop trying to initiate a conversation.

« I hope you like meat », Minamisawa said, « Because I ordered a nice menu ».

Kurama almost choked on his champagne. « Y-You ordered already?! », he said in between a fit of cough.

« Yes, when I booked the table », was the nonchalant reply, as if they weren’t talking about who knows how many thousand yen. « Don’t worry, I chose premium quality dishes, you can trust me ».

_ That _ was exactly the issue! « That’s not the matter! », he cried out. He wished he had ordered cheap food, at least it wouldn’t take him ages to repay that debt. God knows when he’d be able to give him back all the money, damn it, he could blackmail him until the end of time and…

« Hmm... », Minamisawa was puzzled, « What’s wrong, then? ».

Kurama opened his mouth to answer but instantly closed it. No, he couldn’t confess. Admitting he had economic issues in front of someone as chic and rich as him would be far too humiliating.

He blushed and lowered his gaze. Better to just let it drop.

« Don’t worry », Minamisawa surprised him again, « Of course I paid in advance ».

How was he able to read his mind like that? How could he understand him so well without knowing him at all?! An unsolvable mystery.

Aside from this, the idea someone had spent some big money on him without even asking first made him angrier than finding himself unwillingly in dept. « Are you kidding me?! », he yelled.

« I’m not », Minamisawa replied bluntly, with that half-smile he loved to death and hated to bits at the same time.

Kurama was struggling to breathe. « B-But why?! », he stuttered, « I’ll never be able to repay you! ».

His voice had become so high pitched he was starting to attract the furious gazes of many guests sitting at the other tables. Driven by the heat of the moment, he had forgotten where he was. The loudest noise those snobbish people must have heard in their lives was a teaspoon clashing with the cup. « It’s not fair », he whispered.

« I don’t care ». The calm on his face grew even brighter. It was impossible to understand if he was being honest or if he was carefully weaving the plot of a pantomime, but the security he radiated was undeniably there. « Isn’t it normal for a boyfriend to offer dinner to his special one from time to time? ».

Alright, now Kurama didn’t know whether to feel honored or duped.

First of all, he loathed gifts - especially expensive ones. It went against his pride, as if he was admitting a weakness, even if only on the economical side. And moreover, why was he going this far, that day?

Too many sweet nothings, too many cute words, too many mentions of their relationship status… He had accepted to pass as a fake couple in public, but there was no need to address him like that. People could see them, not hear - what was the point in faking it so much?

Before he could express his doubts, the waiter triumphantly came back and the chance to make small talk vanished. Plates and trays stacked up and filled the whole surface of the table, in a way he had only seen in all-you-can-eat restaurants, but in a fancier and more pompous fashion.

He had to admit it, everything was so tasty it made him forget what was happening. Kurama literally threw himself on the food, savoring the quality he could hardly ever appreciate (and that he didn’t even want to spend money on), and his will to make a fuss disappeared.

The only thing he was unable to get rid of was a pressuring uneasiness that had enveloped him since morning.

The place was huge. People had stopped staring. The meat was divine, to say the least. All in all, he had adapted to his weird tight clothes. He peeked at his reflection in the wine glass and found himself almost pretty with that hairdo. Yet, he still couldn’t relax.

He didn’t expect Minamisawa, as lost as he always was inside his perfect little fairy world, to realize. He was taken aback when he heard him ask: « Why are you so upset? ».

Was he bothered? Was he worried? Kurama had no idea. He knew it was the right moment to let the cat out of the bag, though.

« It’s that… », he scratched his head, as if this could inspire him with the best words to say. « I mean, there’s no need to go this far for such a futile reason ».

Minamisawa frowned. « Pardon me? ».

Kurama sucked at explaining stuff and he had foreseen questions coming from him, so he was ready to add more, even if phrasing the complicated, messed up train of thought in his head was a hard task. It was better to ditch any kind of formal speech and use the language he knew best. « I’ll be frank, okay? », he announced before taking a deep breath. « You never invite me anywhere unless your goal is to impress someone. We take pictures to please your fangirls, we hold hands in the middle of the street to seek attention, and so on. I’m fine with all of this, but is making a good impression on someone really worth pushing my limits to  _ this _ extent? ». Smoother than planned.

Minamisawa didn’t answer. He stared at him in total silence, dumbfounded.

“ _ Maybe he’s mad because I hit the spot _ ”, Kurama thought. For the first time he had the upper hand and the unparalleled occasion to dump right on his face what he had been holding back for months. How could he not take advantage of this rare moment?

« I’m right, yeah? », he asked again, « That’s why you went quiet ».

Minamisawa halfheartedly shook his head. « No, it’s... », he tried to say.

Kurama didn’t let him. « Come on, speak up », he attacked him, « Who is it this time? That middle-aged couple down there, maybe they’re your sponsors? Or who knows, the girls in the corner, do you like one of them? Or they know you somehow? Who’s your victim in this room? Come on, point them out to me if you have the guts ».

At this point, he was lining up words one after the other without making too much sense or caring about the volume of his voice. Everyone could hear him? Perfect, so the entire world would know what kind of profiteering liar the web idol Minamisawa Atsushi was.

« Oh, right », he added, « Since polite little lords like you can’t point, maybe you could text me the name in the middle of the night, who cares if you’re gonna wake me up, right? ».

Minamisawa was clearly starting to get heated.

Kurama knew he was in the wrong. His premises were correct, but he was adding in the fruits of his paranoia and accusing him just for the hell of it.

« I swear I have no idea what you’re blabbering about », he answered, « Why… why on earth do you have to turn everything into an argument? ».

« I don’t believe you », Kurama snapped. « You’re a skilled actor, but I stopped trusting you long ago ».

Minamisawa placed his fork on the napkin with an angry jerk. « You don’t trust me? », he asked, « Oh, really? ».

« Of course I don’t! », Kurama cried out. He instinctively jumped to his feet, without noticing he had done so until everyone in the restaurant was staring at him again. He wondered how much that pack of snobbish rich people was laughing behind his back.

He sat down again and forced himself to regain his composure, or to at least push back his rage within the limits of common sense. « How can I trust an asshole who asked me to fake a relationship with him for the sake of increasing his own fame, playing games with my feelings the entire time? Should I shut up and accept you started caring for me all of a sudden only because you took me out to dinner in an expensive place? ».

« You’ve got it wrong, Kurama », the hurt look in his eyes was shockingly real. He thought everything would end in a fistfight like in action movie, instead of this… pathetic scenario. « I can’t deny I’ve been awful to you, but there’s no ulterior motive to this night. All the opposite, and… ».

« I don’t believe it », Kurama repeated. « In the past months you’ve done nothing for me. You don’t even help me get back up after forcing me to pose for your absurd fashion photos! You can’t find the time to stay five stupid minutes with me and Hikaru after having us go out for you! How could I believe any of your lies?! ».

Minamisawa slammed his fist on the tablecloth, a gesture he’d never see coming from him. « Do you seriously not understand why I invited you? », he had lost it, « The reason I was so nervous on the phone? The reason I’ve planned out every single detail of this day? ».

« No, I don’t! », Kurama confessed. He had given it so much thought, twisted the matter in his head, tried to consider things from different perspectives a million times - yet no reasonable explanation was there to be seen. « You’re still a mystery for me, and one of those I don’t even  _ want _ to solve… ».

He couldn’t finish his ramblings because Minamisawa swiftly leaned forward on the table and, rudely grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, he kissed him. There, in the midst of the restaurant, in the middle of the crowd. And he didn’t seem to mind at all.

And that’s how the mask of a perfect gentleman peeled off from his face. Before even thinking about what his action meant, Kurama understood in that moment that he was the only one who knew him for real. Who knew what his soul actually looked like - and it was not exactly the perfect wax figurine everyone could see from outside. The truth was in that kiss, in his aggressive, goofy movements. There was no elegance nor grace in the touching of their lips, there was only frustration, and maybe a pinch of possessiveness.

When fantasizing about his first kiss, no matter if he was the one kissing or being kissed, Kurama had imagined a different kind of feeling in his chest. He had given up the idea of ever getting close to Minamisawa’s lips - or, to be honest, to anyone else’s. And he thought that when the moment would come, his heart would rip out of his chest, his hands would sweat like crazy, and he’d collapse to the floor.

None of the sort. He felt as if he deserved that kiss, almost like a prize after so much suffering, and that it was right. Disappointing, not as expected, yet good enough.

A small act like this could in no way make up for the amount of past mistakes. Who knows, maybe the wound he had caused in Kurama’s heart would never heal. But this was an acceptable starting point. The meaningless - and yet fundamental - first step of a long journey towards the complete destruction of the lies in their relationship.

When their lips parted, Minamisawa’s face was aflame. His breath was rushed and some rebellious purple locks had fled from the ocean of hair gel on his head.

« Is it clear now?! », he asked.

Kurama didn’t miss the chance to tease him. « Perhaps », he said.

Minamisawa combed his hair with his fingers, exasperated. He was so nervous he couldn’t phrase a single sentence, and it was weird coming from him. « You blew up my plans entirely », he sighed. « You’re always so… impulsive, so quick to get to the wrongest conclusions, so… so damn rough ».

Kurama fixed the collar of his shirt, brutally assaulted in the scuffle. « Hey », he snorted, « Don’t insult me now ».

« It’s true! », Minamisawa exclaimed, « You leave me speechless, I swear to God ».

He moved his elbows and slowly crawled back to his place. They could both sense the indignation from people surrounding them. They had spent tons of money to sit next to two loud, rowdy teenagers who even smooched in public. And thinking about it lucidly, it was pretty incredible they found the courage to act like that. They were hopeless hotheads.

Minamisawa cleared his throat. « What I wanted to ask you », he said, his calm apparently restored, « And maybe I wanted to kiss you  _ after _ hearing your reply, is… ».

Their eyes met, and Kurama could read in his gaze a seriousness he had never seen in his entire life. He looked on the brink of making an important announcement, and his heart couldn’t but hasten his beat.

« Would you like to… stop faking? », came the question.

Kurama didn’t move. He took long, intense minutes of silence to evaluate the proposal, the implications it held and the sacrifice it must have been for Minamisawa to put his pride aside to this extent so as to plan this out.

« Why aren’t you saying anything? », Minamisawa pushed him, « You’re making me anxious ». He nervously scratched his head, proving he wasn’t lying for once.

It was Kurama’s turn to lean forward and kiss him again, abruptly. A small revenge, so tiny yet so pleasuring.

« Does this count as an answer? », he then said with a smirk.

Minamisawa looked at him defiantly. Yes, there was no other way their sincere relationship could unfold if not as a race. An endless fight among rivals holding the same power and, more importantly, the same stubbornness. « Perhaps », he said, mocking his previous answer.

Kurama smiled in satisfaction. It was going to be a beautiful competition, he knew it.

« By the way », he said, « This stupid champagne isn’t even sparkling ».

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is how I've always pictured their relationship - not exactly sweet and tender, but more like a complicated bond.  
> Anyway, even if many of the decisions I made for the plot were due to the prompts I had to use, I still hope you enjoyed the read. Thank you! ♥


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